BTX Holdings, a company that specializes in the development and acquisition of technologies to extract useable products from biomass, today  (8th February) announced that it had commenced the due diligence testing of the Hypercritical Separation Technology (HST) for use in the production of Ethanol feedstock. The company is under agreement to acquire the patent rights for the HST pending successful due diligence.

BTX Holdings chose to test wheat straw, which is the biomass waste leftover after the grain has been removed, as the first biomass waste stream to be processed utilizing the HST system. 

"We are excited about the prospects of utilizing cellulosic biomass waste streams to produce ethanol in a cost effective manner," said Scott J. Silverman, the President and CEO of BTX Holdings. "We believe that the future of the ethanol is dependent on the ability to reduce costs by unlocking the energy contained in cellulose, since cellulose is by far the most abundant organic substance found in nature."

Management of BTX and the scientific panel assisting them believe that the HST System is the key to making the production of ethanol from cellulosic feedstocks commercially viable.

Mr. Silverman went on to say, "Initial testing of the HST System has shown impressive results. We anticipate that independent laboratory analyses, which are in various stages, will add to our excitement."